Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Cultivation Through Copulation.

Episode 27: Martial Arts Tournament (5)

A sensation that the sword genius Geum Mook felt for the first time. It was as if his sword was not listening to him. For Geum Mook, who always communicated with his sword, this unfamiliar feeling greatly shook his mindset during the match.

Geum Mook quickly grasped the sword seal to subdue the sword. He managed to stop it from causing chaos by calling the sword’s name.

The sword stopped making noise and became as unresponsive as an inanimate object.

Although the sword no longer acted on its own, it also stopped moving as nimbly as Geum Mook wished. The connection he had with his sword, which had reached a level of partial Unity, was severed.

‘Damn, what the hell is going on! My Unity with the sword!’

Geum Mook had to admit that more than half of his power was gone. His Unity with the sword was achieved through long training and communication with it. It shouldn’t have been broken so easily!

‘Stay calm, stay calm, Geum Mook! The match isn’t over yet. I can win even without the Sword Unity.’

Still, nothing changes.

Even without Sword Unity, he can defeat a mere Qi Condensation 8-Star disciple. Geum Mook’s swordsmanship is beyond the Qi Condensation stage! Isn’t he confident that his swordsmanship can contend with even Foundation Establishment cultivators?

Having silenced the sword, Geum Mook composed himself again and charged toward Yuk-gyeong.

Yuk-gyeong, who had given Geum Mook a moment to regroup, also charged to meet him head-on.

Clang!

When Geum Mook’s sword clashed with Yuk-gyeong’s arm, it sounded like metal striking metal.

Surprisingly, Yuk-gyeong had metal arm guards.

It was Yuk-gyeong’s preparation to face the enemy with bare fists.

Yuk-gyeong pressured Geum Mook with his metal arm guards and grinned widely.

Clang! Clang!

Yuk-gyeong pursued Geum Mook, stepping with the Foreseeing Fist’s footwork. Geum Mook kept retreating, swinging his sword for defense, but under Yuk-gyeong’s aggressive assault, he was driven into a corner.

The reason Geum Mook was being cornered wasn’t just because Yuk-gyeong fought well.

‘Is he reading my mind?’

Geum Mook realized that Yuk-gyeong was tracking his movements!

How could he predict the opponent’s moves when he couldn’t read minds?

Geum Mook clenched his mouth tightly, using all his strength.

Geum Mook’s feet stepped into a peculiar position, occupying the Nine Palaces. It was the footwork of the Six Essence Swordsmanship, which came to him naturally at Qi Condensation 3-Star.

‘He won’t be able to follow this footwork! No Qi Condensation stage cultivator has ever followed it!’

However, Yuk-gyeong, as if already reading Geum Mook’s movements, placed his fist where Geum Mook was about to move.

It wasn’t just placing; it was as if he was about to pummel him.

Thud!

Geum Mook was struck in the chest by Yuk-gyeong’s fist, shocked. Even as his chest throbbed with pain and his body staggered, Geum Mook wanted to deny it.

How?

‘How is he reading my movements? How is he following my footwork?’

Yuk-gyeong kept pummeling Geum Mook, grateful to the martial sister he met before coming to Manho.

Foreseeing Fist!

The fist art of realizing first!

The Foreseeing Fist Yuk-gyeong seized was a basic skill in Murim, but when combined with Yuk-gyeong’s spiritual power, it created a mysterious synergy.

Originally, the Foreseeing Fist was a martial art responding to the opponent’s attack based on the principle of striking first after the opponent’s move,

but when combined with Yuk-gyeong’s comprehension and the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth, the trajectory of Geum Mook’s sword became visible!

Where he would swing his sword, in which direction he would place his arm, all of it!

I can see where you’re going.

Yuk-gyeong just had to swing his fist in the direction Geum Mook was heading.

Like this,

Thud! Thud!

Geum Mook was helplessly getting beaten by Yuk-gyeong.

Despite being pummeled and swollen, Geum Mook, unlike a noble young master, showed resilience and didn’t fall.

But no matter how strong you are, you can’t withstand a beating forever.

With his Sword Unity sealed and even his unique sword technique, Six Essence Swordsmanship, broken, Geum Mook had no way to win.

Geum Mook held on well but eventually fell, his eyes swollen shut.

Thud!

As Geum Mook fell, the hall fell silent. The unbelievable defeat of Geum Mook! People needed time to accept this fact.

How?

Geum Mook lost? The strongest Qi Condensation cultivator of the Dark Moon Sect, Geum Mook?

To an unknown disciple named Lee Yuk-gyeong?

Moreover, it was said that Lee Yuk-gyeong has only been in the sect for about a week?

And he was said to be an ordinary person when he entered?

How is this possible?

And isn’t Lee Yuk-gyeong at Qi Condensation 8-Star? To defeat all the promising Qi Condensation 9-star novices and win with Qi Condensation 8-Star!

It felt like victory was given to an unexpected person.

Still, the match has been decided.

The winner stood, and the loser lay down. The outcome was clear.

In that shocking moment, the judge did not wait for the crowd.

Raising his hand towards Lee Yuk-gyeong, the judge declared.

“The winner is,

Lee Yuk-gyeong!“

The cheers erupted belatedly.

“Wow-! Lee Yuk-gyeong!”

“Qi Condensation 8-star! The hope of the Qi Condensation stage!”

“Lee Yuk-gyeong, the rising star!”

The birth of the strongest in the Qi Condensation stage among peers turned Iron Star Peak into a frenzy.

Besides, it wasn’t that they didn’t know the name at all.

This time, the newcomer to the sect, Single Spiritual Root owner, Lee Yuk-gyeong? Everyone had heard the name at least.

They say he’s the owner of the legendary Single Spiritual Root. Isn’t it said that the cultivation speed of Single Spiritual Root owners is fast?

Does he have a master? Or is he not yet an inner disciple and hasn’t been taken under a master?

Stories about the genius Lee Yuk-gyeong, who seemed to have fallen from the sky, were full of questions.

Still, now was the time to celebrate the birth of the winner.

The congratulations for Yuk-gyeong’s victory were given personally by the Elder of Iron Star Peak.

The Elder of Iron Star Peak, Cloud Daoist Go Tae-gong, congratulated Yuk-gyeong by giving him a small box containing Spirit Stones and pills.

“Disciple Lee Yuk-gyeong. Congratulations on achieving outstanding results in the martial arts competition hosted by Iron Star Peak. I hear you are a disciple brought into the sect by Elder Geum?”

“Yes, Elder. I am Lee Yuk-gyeong, who recently joined.”

Yuk-gyeong bowed respectfully.

Elder Go smiled as if he was proud and handed over a magical tool.

“Yes, it was an excellent demonstration of magical arts. Continue to make progress. These are the Spirit Stones, pills, and a magical tool bestowed to the winner. You’ll learn how to use it as you refine the magical tool.”

“Thank you, Elder.”

“If you reach the Foundation Establishment stage in the future, coming to Iron Star Peak would be a good choice. Iron Star Peak is the Technique Hall, so it will be of great help in choosing a technique after you’ve reached the Foundation Establishment stage.”

Elder Go even promoted Iron Star Peak.

If only he had given me one more magical tool, I would have bowed and joined Iron Star Peak upon reaching the Foundation Establishment stage. But there’s nothing like that.

Elder Go’s eyes were filled with a subtle light.

He seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he didn’t say anything more and left first.

Yuk-gyeong came down from the stage after shaking the trophy-like magical tool he received as a prize.

“Wow-!

The Rising star Lee Yuk-gyeong!”

“The Young Combat Master Lee Yuk-gyeong!”

The disciples cheered for Yuk-gyeong’s stage presence. In their minds, the name Lee Yuk-gyeong was etched deeply.

After the martial arts competition ended, a modest banquet was held for those who achieved top rankings.

Only the top 10 performers with excellent results could attend, but the runner-up Geum Mook left, saying he was busy with training.

What a brat.

Even without Geum Mook, the banquet was enjoyable.

Yuk-gyeong thought that a clean Daoist-style party was quite fun. It was even more so because there was alcohol and meat.

Of course, the meat was only seasoned with salt and the alcohol was incredibly strong, but isn’t it just the atmosphere that matters?

As Yuk-gyeong sipped his drink, someone sat next to him.

It was Deung Sa-jin, who had surrendered in the semifinals. The one who liked butterflies.

“Congratulations on your victory, Junior Brother.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother.”

Deung Sa-jin congratulated Yuk-gyeong genuinely on his victory.

At least if Deung Sa-jin’s expression wasn’t lying. He was smiling brightly with a handsome, serpentine face.

Deung Sa-jin, being a semifinalist, had more than enough qualifications to attend the banquet.

Sa-jin drank next to Yuk-gyeong, as if to keep him company.

But even that becomes uncomfortable if prolonged. Just as Yuk-gyeong began to feel awkward,

Deung Sa-jin suddenly asked,

“Junior Brother, have you ever thought about why you don’t get much attention despite being a Single Spiritual Root owner?”

It was true. The Elder he met earlier seemed to value him, but other disciples were particularly unaware of him.

The fact that he was an owner of a Single Spiritual Root was a talent that could draw everyone’s attention within the sect. But to be this indifferent? It had to be because there was some scheme going on behind the scenes.

And Yuk-gyeong knew someone who could pull such a scheme.

“Hmm, isn’t it because of that slippery-looking inner disciple, Sasuk?”

When Yuk-gyeong described him as slippery-looking, Sa-jin understood immediately and burst into laughter.

“Jang Yeong-ok Sasuk! Haha, slippery, you say. Don’t say such things elsewhere. If he hears it, he’ll surely get very angry. He’s not good at handling talk about himself. He’s handsome too. Don’t hate him too much.”

Sa-jin waved his hand as if to say that even the handsome Yeong-ok wasn’t hateful. What a person with no principles. Is everything okay as long as they’re handsome and pretty?

Yuk-gyeong pouted and snorted.

“Don’t hate him? Because of him, my life in the sect is getting twisted. I can’t even get the attention I deserve.”

“Haha, it’s already twisted. Yeong-ok Sasuk is from the Jang family. The Jang family leads the largest faction within the Dark Moon Sect. Having produced two Core Formation Elders, the Jang family also has a promising disciple, making it the most prosperous. So the existence of someone like you, a Single Spiritual Root owner, is bothersome to them because they have to share the resources. Haven’t you been receiving quite a lot of Spirit Stones and pills since you joined the outer sect?”

That was true.

Yuk-gyeong knew he received at least 1.5 times more Spirit Stones and pills than other disciples. While other disciples struggled with Spirit Stones and pills, Yuk-gyeong had more than enough even after using them.

Spirit Stones were the currency for cultivators.

Stones created from condensed Heaven and Earth Qi had the effect of replenishing the Spiritual Qi of the person holding them, helping with cultivation or being used for emergency energy replenishment.

For example, it could be said that it was a combination of cultivation supplements and a Qi replenishment battery.

Therefore, it was used like cash in the cultivation world.

Half of the reason Yuk-gyeong hasn’t felt tempted to touch herbs as an herbal apprentice since entering the outer sect is probably because of this. He had enough money. Of course, there’s also the prick of Yuk-gyeong’s conscience.

“I see.”

“It’s all because you’re a Single Spiritual Root owner that you receive a lot of resources. The sect values disciples more than you might think. Normally, the elders would be competing to take you in as their disciples. But since the Jang family is picking on you, and the other factions are keeping their eyes on you, therefore the elders can’t act hastily.”

I knew that I was being valued by the sect. Elder Mu even guaranteed that I would have time to cultivate and it seemed like he would take care of me in the future.

Sigh,

factions, those damn factions.

The cultivation world is also a political arena. Even though this place is supposed to be a pure Daoist sect, it’s all politics.

No matter how much people gather, there’s politics. But it’s such a comedy that those who aim to become immortals are engaging in politics.

Still, it couldn’t be helped. In terms of resource allocation, distributing them through political logic was an efficient method.

“I see… Is the Jang family really that influential? Enough for everyone to take notice?”

“The Jang family has two Core Formation Elders in the sect. They’re both in important positions within the sect. Doesn’t that say it all? A pure Daoist sect should prioritize the sect’s interests, not the family’s. I’m sure the Sect Leader has a lot to think about.”

“Then what about me? Do I have to keep living under the Jang family’s disfavor?”

“First of all, if you endure, won’t better days come? As a cultivator with a Single Spiritual Root, your training will be swift, and you’ll have no choice but to trust in your abilities by raising your level through cultivation. Once you reach the Core Formation stage, no one will be able to bother you.”

Core Formation stage my ass.

I haven’t even reached Foundation Establishment yet, so that’s a distant story.

I’ve heard it takes several years just to ascend from the Qi Condensation stage to the Foundation Establishment stage, and completing the Foundation Establishment stage takes decades. And then, succeeding in Core Formation is said to be a matter of leaving it to fate.

Still, since I have a Single Spiritual Root, it shouldn’t be too difficult to succeed in Core Formation if given enough time.

But the problem is whether the Jang family will afford me that time…